passing comment: Professional poker player

[Carl_William]

Some passing comments:

Don’t be ashamed to say I am a professional poker player. They are lots of professions where much more shame should be attached to it.

Over the years from time to time, I have come across situations in various environments (social parties, casinos, television interviews, Internet chat lines) where people who when ask what they do for a living, have said: “I am a professional poker player.” In certain situations such as at a social party at a home, this statement: “I am a professional poker player,” can have a negative social stigma associated with it. I am not a pro poker player, but I know I would be embarrassed to say that in the social circle of my friends and relatives (I will not go into the reason for this feeling of mine for obvious reasons). What I want to say is and my point is….

There are many occupations which should have a much more negative stigma associated with it then being a professional poker player. Sadly, in my opinion, that is not the way current thinking in America is. One sad occupation is an insurance agent (salesman) who specializes in whole life insurance products. In my opinion, whole life insurance is a terrible investment.

Recently a grand nephew of mine graduated in 2001 from a major Big Ten University (from a football perspective), and finally got a job as an insurance agent with a nation wide insurance and brokerage company with headquarters in Milwaukee. This company specializes in whole life insurance (hybrid policies) and annuities amongst other things. The young agents working for this company are initially taught only one thing:

Sell whole life policy to relatives and friends.

My great nephew proceeded to non-stop harass a niece of mine who was a recent widow with two young sons (aged 6 and 11). He went after every account my niece had (IRA, 401[k], savings, and life insurance. I won’t go into details, but he ripped her off for about $8000 the first year.

After about 3 to5 years, 85% of these young insurance agents realize they are ripping off people (including friends and relatives) and go to work for a respectable insurance company or go into another profession. They realize that whole life insurance and annuities are usually poor investments for most people. My bottom line point is….

As long as you are an honest poker player – don’t be embarrassed to mention it in a social setting, if somebody asked you what your profession is.